Enrique Sánchez of the Citizen Action Party said: ‘Equal Marriage is a legal reality in our country. That will not change. The Inter-American Court and the Constitutional Chamber have made this clear.’

The long road to marriage equality

Same-sex marriage equality has already been years in the making.

Back in November 2017, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights ruled that all of its signatory countries must allow same-sex marriage. This includes Costa Rica.

Then in August 2018, Costa Rica’s Supreme Court of Justice ruled it was against the constitution to block same-sex marriage.

That November, the Supreme Court justices gave the country’s Legislative Assembly 18 months to act. 26 May marks that deadline meaning the court’s ruling overrides the ban on same-sex marriage.

Despite this, 26 deputies asked for another delay this month. They wanted ‘a minimum of 18 months’ after the COVID-19 pandemic ends before the first same-sex marriages.

But the assembly’s vote removes this final block.

Naturally, celebrations will be limited as the pandemic is preventing mass gatherings. But Sí Acepto Costa Rica is marking the day with a special broadcast. The invitation for the events says:

‘Decades of effort and struggle for rights reach a historic moment on May 26 when Costa Rica becomes the first country in Central America to approve civil marriage for people of the same sex.’